Clothes-drying apparatus.



No. 671,422. Patented Apr.2, |9o|.' J. T. MBLEAN.

CLOTHES DRYING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Dec 13, 1900.] (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. MOLEAN, OF APPALACHIA, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO BENJAMIN A. WORD, OF MIDDLESBORO, KENTUCKY.

CLOTH ES-DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 671,422. dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed December 18, 1900. Serial No. 39,745. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. MOLEAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Appalachia, in the county of Wise and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for drying clothes, and contemplates the provision of a simple and inexpensive clothes-drying apparatus embodying a great length of line and one in which the line may be readily adjusted and tightened, so as to prevent sagging of the same when the weight of clothes is imposed thereon without the aid of clothes-props and the like.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan View illustrating my improved apparatus in its proper operative position. Fig. 2 is a broken sectional view illustrating a portion of one of the stationary supports and the pulley and brake device connected thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged section of a portion of the center piece of the apparatus, said section being taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A, A, and A are upright supports, which may be posts, tree-trunks, fences, buildings,

' or the like.

B B are antifriction pulleys, which are mounted in suitable frames at, connected to the supports A.

C is a hook connected to the support A.

D is a pulley mounted in a frame 1), connected to the support A which frame 2) is provided with a binding or brake screw 0, designed to'bear against the line and prevent slipping thereof.

E is the line, and F is the center piece, forming part of my improvements.

The center piece F preferably comprises a flat circular body 01 and bifurcated arms 6, which extend radially from the body and are designed to receive antifriction-pulleys Gafter the manner best shown in Fig. 3. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the body d and arms 6 of the center piece are cast in one piece of suitable metal. Said body and arms of the center piece may, however, be

formed of wood or other suitable material without departing from the scope of my claims.

In adjusting myimproved apparatustheline E is fastened at one end to the hook C on the support A and is then carried around one of the pulleys G of the center piece, then around a pulley B on one of the supports A, then around a pulley B on another support A, then around another pulley G on the center piece, then around a pulley B on another support A, then around a pulley B on another support A, then around the remaining pulley G of the cen- -ter piece, then around a pulley B on the remaining support A, then around the pulley D 011 the support A and then back to the starting-pointviz., the hook 0. Before the second end of the line is connected to the hook C it is drawn taut between the pulley D and the frame 1) thereof and is then secured against slipping by turningthe bindingorbrake screw inwardly. With this done the second end of the line is fastened to hook O and the apparatus is ready for use.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the center piece F is connected to the several supports grouped about the same through the medium of the line E and that when the line is drawn taut, as described, the center piece F is supported or suspended in mid-air thereby.

In lieu of arranging the line in the manner described and as shown by full lines in Fig. 1 it may be arranged after the manner shown partially in full and partially in dotted lines in Fig. l, in which event two of the supports A maybe dispensed with. In such latter arrangement of the line it is fastened at one end to the hook O on the support A and is then carried around one of the pulleys G of the center piece, then around a pulley B on one of the supports A, as shown by full and dotted lines, then around another pulley G of the center piece, as shown partly in dotted and the hook O.

around a pulley B on the remaining support A, then around the pulley D on the support A and then back to the starting-pointviz. I also desire it understood that the line may be arranged in any suitable manner with reference to the center piece and so pports grouped about the same without departing from the scope of my invention.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing that the line arranged as shown and described may be readily adjusted and tightened to such an extent as to enable it to support a great weight of clothes without sagging and permitting the clothes to drag on the ground. It will also be appreciated that my improved apparatus afiords a great length of line and is consequently adapted to support a large quantity of clothes, and, further, that it is adapted for use in small yards and at places where supports are so arranged as to render difficult the stringing of an ordinary line.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A clothes-drying apparatus, comprising a center piece adapted to be suspended orsup ported in mid-air, and having a body, and a g plurality of antifriction-pulleys arranged at intervals on the edgethereof, and aline adapted to be passed around said pulleys of the center piece and guides on supports grouped about the center piece so as to suspend or support the latter in mid-air, substantially as specified.

2. Aclothes-drying apparatus comprising a center piece made up of a body, arms extending radially from the body, and antifricv fastened, substantially as specified.

3. In a clothes-drying apparatus, a center piecemade up'of a body, arms extending radially from the body, and antifriction-pulleys mounted in the arms, supports grouped about the center piece,fraines connected to the supports and carrying antifriction pulleys, a brake or binding screw mounted in one of the frames, and a line stretched between the supports and center piece and passed around the pulleys thereof, and adapted to be secured by the binding or brake screw, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. MCLEAN.

Witnesses:

R. M. GREEN, JAS. R. TODD. 

